Essay:Sports Stars in Politics

Sports stars enjoy immense public support, and are often highly successful in elections. However, most are then relatively ineffective in office and their early popularity usually fades. Their ineffectiveness could be attributable to a lack of political experience in accomplishing things, and in addressing new political issues that arise. Ego may have been an ostacle for some who have not worked well in party politics.

Here are some examples of athletic stars who were elected with great hope, but never achieved the high expectations in politics. They span the political spectrum:

The rare, and perhaps only, example of a star athlete who became a star politician with significant accomplishments to his credit was Jack Kemp, author of the historic Kemp-Roth Tax Cut, also known as the Economic Recovery Tax Act of 1981.